Director of Gate Theatre receives honour

A Special Tribute Award was presented to Gate Theatre director Michael Colgan at last night's Irish Times theatre awards.

It follows the Gate's extraordinary success over recent years with productions of plays by Harold Pinter, the Samuel Beckett canon and a current production of Faith Healer which sold out its complete run before its opening night.

The Judges Special Award presented in Dublin last night went to the Druid Theatre company for their "compelling presentation of the complete stage works of J M Synge".

The production, premiered in Galway on July 16th last during the Galway Arts Festival, was the first time that the six Synge works have been performed back to back. It was directed by Garry Hynes, and actors involved in this ambitious undertaking included Marie Mullen, Mick Lally, Eamon Morrissey and Catherine Walsh. There were also remarkable performances from young actors Aaron Monaghan and Gemma Reeves.

Other winners announced at last night's event, which was compered by Pauline McLynn, included Christopher Meloni who won the Best Actor award for his performance as Eddie Carbone in the Gate Theatre production of A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller.

The Best Actress Award went to Catherine Walker for her performance as Bridgie Cleary in the Abbey Theatre production of What Happened Bridgie Cleary by Tom Mac Intyre.

The Best Supporting Actor award winner was Nick Dunning for his performance as Robert in the Gate Theatre production of Betrayal by Harold Pinter and the Best Supporting Actress award went to Ruth Negga for her performance as Lavinia in the Siren production of Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare.

Selina Cartmell won Best Director Award for Titus Andronicus. The Best Designer:Set award went to Andre Barbe for the Wexford Festival Opera production of Pénélope by Gabriel Fauré, with the Best Designer: Lighting award going to Paul Keogan for the b*spoke production of Fermín Cabal's Tejas Verdes, translated by Robert Shaw and the Siren production of Titus Andronicus.

The Best Designer: Costume award went to Sinéad Cuthbert for the Second Age production of How Many Miles to Babylon by Jennifer Johnston, adapted for the stage by Alan Stanford, and the Ouroboros production of Making History by Brian Friel. The Best Production Award was won by Siren for Titus Andronicus, with the Best Opera Production award going to Wexford Festival Opera for Susannah by Floyd, directed by John Fulljames.

Best New Play award went to Tom Mac Intyre for What Happened Bridgie Cleary, produced by the Abbey Theatre.

Highlights of last night's awards ceremony can be seen on RTÉ I television at 11.35 tonight in The View Presents.... with detailed coverage of the event in The Irish Times tomorrow